


Jack's First Birthday

by lunabelle



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M, Family, Family Fluff, First birthday, Fluff, Friendship, Halloween, Mild Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 11:23:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5125637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunabelle/pseuds/lunabelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Jack's first Birthday, and what better way to celebrate than family, friends, and trick or treating!</p><p><i>How can he describe the best year of his life?  He’d need a lot more time to tell the two of them</i> exactly <i>how he felt, from the day Jack was born, to now, his first birthday.  Instead, he just smiled, and answered with the short version.</i></p><p>  <i>“He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us,” he said simply, gazing down at the happy baby.  “It’s been the best year ever.”</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Jack's First Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to opti for letting me use the zombie cupcake idea for Jack!

The sunlight broke through the curtains early that Halloween morning, shedding a faint ray of light across the little family as they lay in bed, still fast asleep. After a few moments, baby Jack—who as of today, was one year old—started to squirm, his tiny hands reaching out to grab his daddy’s arm and snuggle closer.

Andy blinked himself awake and yawned, staring at the ceiling and stretching, before looking to his left to find his son curled up against him. Over Jack’s other side, April was still fast asleep. He reached a long arm across and gently tapped her shoulder, persisting until she grunted and opened her eyes slowly. 

“Babe, what—?”

“He’s still asleep,” Andy whispered, gesturing at their baby boy, who had now shoved the paw of his favorite stuffed puppy in his own mouth.

“He’ll be up soon,” April curled up under the blanket and scooted closer to them. 

“Shouldn’t we get him up to give him his special breakfast?” Andy said, and he knew he was failing miserably at trying to keep his excitement low, wanting to come off more seriously than he could. Truthfully, Andy wanted to watch Jack’s own excitement as he dove into the triple chocolate cupcake they’d made (OK, Auntie Leslie made), just for him. It was also an homage to his halloween costume, which they’d only just picked out after searching for something perfect.

“Andy, let him sleep…he’s got a long day today. I promise, he’ll love his breakfast no matter when he eats it.”

“Yeah, you’re right. You’re so smart,” he nodded, pulling the blanket up over his son’s shoulders.

They didn’t usually have Jack get into their bed at night, and he became a surprisingly good sleeper once he’d reached a few months old. However, Andy had been persistent about letting him sleep with them last night so they could all wake up together on Jack’s first birthday. April tried to hide the way her eyes misted up when he suggested it to her, and she’d agreed casually. Andy knew better, though, and knew she loved the idea.

Andy closed his eyes again and relaxed, trying to figure out how the year had flown by so quickly. People always told him the first year goes by fast, and he’d always just nodded at them, pretending like he could relate, when really he just wanted them to stop talking and hand him back his baby. Now, he finally got an inkling of what they meant, and it made him a little sad. He loved their son with a fierceness no one could challenge, and as much as he was looking forward to everything they had to look forward to, he still had this little part of him that didn’t want Jack to grow up.

He was just about to doze off when he felt movement to his left, and turning his head he realized Jack was finally awake, looking at Andy with tired eyes. Andy smiled and shook April again until he heard her waking up.

“Hi buddy!” Andy said, grinning wide and giving his son a kiss on the head. “Happy Birthday!”

“Happy Birthday, baby,” April smiled, and leaned over to give Jack a kiss on the cheek.

Jack smiled and made a sound of pure excitement, clapping his hands as he sat up, clutching the stuffed puppy and looking back and forth between his mom and dad.

“Oh, man…I wish you understood how awesome birthdays are, bud. You’d love it.” Andy took hold of one of Jack’s tiny hands and swung it up and down, as his son giggled. “You’re gonna have the most awesome party today. And later, we’re gonna go trick or treating!” He lifted the baby up and held him high in the air like an airplane, while Jack’s contagious laughs rang out.

“Da,” Jack said suddenly, placing a tiny hand on Andy’s face when Andy brought him back down.

Andy heard April gasp quietly, as he sat there with his mouth open. He looked at her, slowly turning his head.

“Did…um…” Andy stammered. “Did he just say, ‘Da’…as in…he called me by name? As in, Dada?” He looked at Jack again, and his eyes instantly began to water as he sniffed hard.

“Babe, he totally did,” April’s smile was huge. “He just said his first word.” She scooted closer to Andy and pointed to him. “Jack-Jack, who’s this?”

“Da,” Jack said again, reaching out to feel his father’s scruffy beard. 

April leaned over to give Andy a kiss on the cheek. “Babe, he’s starting to talk,” April said it like she couldn’t believe it herself. 

Andy continued to sit there silently, holding Jack, staring at him like he might burst into tears at any moment.

“You OK over there?” April’s eyes were narrow, but her smile was warm as she rubbed his arm.

“Y-yes,” Andy sighed, pulling his son close to him and giving him a hug. The boy just giggled and made more nonsense babbling sounds, while Andy stood and walked around the room with him a bit. “I love you, buddy,” he said over and over to the baby, bouncing him slightly as he circled the bedroom.

Jack rested his head on his dad’s shoulder, and Andy gestured for April to follow him. 

“Cupcake time?” she asked, happily taking his hand.

“Absolutely,” Andy nodded, as April reached up to wipe away a lone happy tear from her husband’s face.

 

April had just put up the fake spider webs and skeletons, the black and orange balloons and streamers, and was just putting the finishing touch on the in-house gravestones when she heard Andy return from the store. He placed the bags onto the kitchen counter and smiled, looking very satisfied with himself.

“Hey babe,” she walked over, draped her arms around his waste and hugged him. She’d been decorating for a few hours, and now that Jack was napping, the exhaustion was finally catching up to her. “Did you get the rest of the stuff?”

“Oh, I _definitely_ did,” Andy smirked, kissing her head before turning to remove the items from the bags. “Food, all set. Got everything for the party. Candy, some for party, some for trick or treaters…all set. Alcohol for us adults, also all set. Your man came through, as usual.” He grinned as he faced his wife, arms crossed.

“You always do,” she agreed. “Leslie and Ben are bringing the cakes—“

“Woah, _cakes?_ Two of them?” 

“Yeah…you remember our plan right? One for eating, one for Jack to smash.”

“Honey, you literally think of everything,” Andy marveled at her, as he got to work putting things away. “I married the smartest woman ever.”

April smiled as she checked everything again on her list. Normally, lists were lame and she only thought people like Leslie made them, but as she got older she realized (grudgingly) that they were pretty useful.

“Where’s the best kid in the world?” Andy called from the pantry area.

“Napping,” April said, crossing off an item. “Oh, good, you remembered to get milk. We don’t wanna have the same incident as last time.”

“Babe, I swear, I had no idea, and it really didn’t taste that different.” 

“That reminds me, babe…I was thinking and I’m pretty sure I’m gonna switch him to normal milk from now on.”

She heard Andy stop putting stuff away and stick his head out to look at her. 

“What?” He looked concerned. “Why?”

“Because he’s one year old, and he’s getting too big for me to prop up, so I mostly just pump and give it to him in a bottle anyway,” she explained. “This is just easier, and the doctor said anytime after six months is a good time to switch.”

“But…I thought your doctor said some moms breastfeed for like, two years?”

“I know, Andy. I just think the time is right.”

“Oh…OK,” he said, and she noticed he sounded sad.

“Hey, dude if you had boobs, I’d say go for it, but—“

“No, it’s not that…” He said slowly, looking at the ground. “It’s just…I dunno, everything. His first word today—and I’m so, _so_ super happy about it—and he can walk now, and now this…it’s just that he’s getting so big so fast and I’m just…gonna miss him being a baby.”

“Babe,” her expression softened as she looked at him. “He’s still gonna be our baby, and for a long, long time.”

“I know,” he said, before returning to putting items away.

April bit her lip. It was true, Jack was growing fast, almost too fast. That’s the way it was, though. Neither she, or Andy could do anything about it. Of course, they’d talked about having another one. April was definitely sure that’s what she wanted, and Andy of course…he was one hundred percent certain that’s what _he_ wanted. The only thing was timing. They’d been so exhausted raising Jack this past year that any thoughts of adding to their family had been pushed to the far end of their minds at the moment. The time would be right at some point.

“Hey, you wanna finish helping me hang the last of the bats and spiders? I need my big tall husband to reach the spots I can’t.”

“Yeah, definitely,” he said, eagerly. 

April didn’t think too much more of it at the moment. Right now, her main goal was to focus on making this the best first birthday and Halloween celebration ever.

 

“Hey big man, you ready?” Andy smiled down at Jack as he held up the little halloween costume. April stood by with the bag of extras to make him especially gruesome, staring at her husband and son with a loving expression lighting up her face.

“Da,” Jack said happily, and Andy nodded frantically. 

“Yes, that’s right bud, Daddy’s gonna get you all dressed up in your costume, and Momma’s gonna put the finishing touches on.” He knelt down in the carpeted nursery, and gently worked the costume over his son’s head, closing the velcro patches and sticking his tiny arms and legs through. When he was finished, Andy and April both chuckled as they admired their son in his costume. He was an absolutely perfect and adorable little cupcake, complete with a cherry hat.

“Babe,” April laughed, as Jack stood and wobbled around, trying to get used to all the extra fabric he was wearing. He stumbled and landed with a soft thud on his bottom, before standing up again shakily and continuing his slow trajectory around the room.

“I know,” Andy just stretched out on his stomach on the rug, propping his head up on his hands, as he watched the little boy with wonder in his eyes. “He’s perfect.”

“He’s a cupcake, Andy,” she laughed. For some reason, the whole thing, the three of them there, the costume, the way Jack was moving around the room, everything just seemed so ridiculously perfect that April couldn’t stop laughing. “I still have to make him into a zombie, though.”

“You’re right, honey,” Andy said, looking at the time. “Leslie, Ben and the kids will be here soon.”

“Come here, sweetheart,” April held her arms out for Jack, who spotted his mother and made a beeline for her, stumbling into her arms and giggling. She hugged him tightly and kissed his nose. “You ready to be the cutest little bloody zombie cupcake that ever lived?”

“Sha pommmk,” Jack giggled, making random sounds.

“I think he said, ‘awesome,’” Andy nodded at her happily.

“Can you go grab our costumes?” April asked Andy.

“Yes, will do.” Andy stood up and hurried out of the room.

 

The sound of the doorbell rang clearly throughout the house as April finished putting out snacks on the dining room table. Andy was in the garage getting some beers for the refrigerator and Jack was happily playing on the floor next to a sleeping Champion (who hadn’t put up a fuss when they dressed him as a bumblebee). She smiled at her little cupcake baby as she made for the door, adjusting her costume quickly and checking her makeup in the mirror.

“Hello, hello, Happy Halloween!” Leslie exclaimed, as the front door swung open, and she rushed forward to hug April. 

“Hi Leslie,” April smiled and moved aside for Stephen, Wesley and Sonia, who were dressed as a football player, a wizard, and an angel respectively. “Hi guys!”

“Hi Auntie April,” they said, each giving her a hug as they passed by, carrying bags of birthday gifts for Jack. 

Finally, Ben arrived carrying a huge box with a smaller box on top—the two cakes.

“Hey April, Happy Halloween,” he said with a big smile, nodding as she closed the door behind them.

“Where’s my godson?” Leslie asked, taking off her coat and looking around.

“He’s right here, hang on…Jack-Jack!” April called for him.

At the sound of her voice, Jack came wobbling around the corner, with Andy close behind, looking proud as ever.

“Oh—April! Andy! He’s walking!” Leslie looked shocked, but immediately broke into a huge grin and kneeled down to Jack’s level, spreading her arms. “Hey buddy!”

Jack ran to greet her, giggling. April watched with the most obvious smile plastered on her face. She may not admit it often, but the fact that Jack loved Leslie so much meant a lot to her…way more that if he liked anyone else outside their home.

“I can’t believe you didn’t call to tell me he’s walking,” Leslie said, still a bit shocked. She held Jack’s little hands out as he bounced up and down, bending his knees.

“It’s only been a week,” April said, shrugging. “We figured you’d see him today.”

“Um, what’s he supposed to be…exactly?” Ben asked, kneeling down to greet the baby and looking him up and down. 

“He’s a bloody zombie cupcake!” Andy exclaimed proudly. “See? We added silly string dyed dark red, a few fake blood capsules, and these jelly things…and now it’s all blood and guts!”

“Wow,” Ben looked at April, then at Andy, nodding his head.

“Aww, how disgustingly adorable!” Leslie beamed. “Happy Birthday, Jack!”

“Happy Birthday Jack,” Ben echoed her.

With a few more baby sounds and some giggling, Jack took off in the direction of the triplets, who were all taking the gifts and putting them on the table. There had to be at least ten of them. Leslie and Ben stood up to properly address their friends.

“So, explain you two,” Leslie said, pointing at their costumes.

April smirked. This year she and Andy were dressed as a sort of gladiator warrior couple, inspired about a month back when they were moving a few things around and came across the painting Leslie had gifted April of her victory over the Black Eyed Peas. April thought about it, and figured a warrior princess would be awesome, and seeing Andy shirtless in a short gladiator type get-up was insanely hot. It helped that he loved the idea too.

“I’m a warrior princess and Andy’s my gladiator lover,” April explained. Andy nodded enthusiastically and stood behind his wife, massaging her bare shoulders. His prop axe was draped across his back and a thick leather strap ran diagonally across his chest. 

“Doesn’t she look super hot?” Andy said, kissing the back of her head. “Who’re you guys?”

“Well, I’m Rapunzel,” Leslie grinned, pulling out of their bag a long, blonde, braided wig that nearly touched the ground. 

“And I’m her prince,” Ben added, holding up a bulging bag. “I uh—couldn’t fit the costume in the car while I was wearing it—insanely massive shoulder pieces, so…I’m gonna go change.”

“Go quick, honey!” Leslie called, as Ben ran to the bathroom to dress. She adjusted the wig until it sat perfectly on her head. Turning her attention back to April, Leslie asked, “So, who else can make it aside from us and the Perkins-Traeger clan?”

“Tom said he’d come by with Lucy,” April said. “They haven’t seen Jack yet so I guess they didn’t mind making the trip. Ron can’t make it, which is kind of a bummer. But it’s fine, we’ll see him another time.”

“Still a good turnout,” Leslie nodded.

“He sent this gift to Jack, though,” April turned and pointed to a wooden child’s chair by the couch. It was beautiful dark oak, detailed in all the right places, and across the top carved in strong lettering, ‘JACK’. 

“Oh, that’s beautiful!” Leslie marveled at it.

“He sent this note, too,” April added, picking up a card and showing Leslie. Inside was a message written in Ron’s blunt handwriting, short and sweet: “Happy Birthday Jack. Every young man needs his first handcrafted chair. Enjoy yours. Regards, Ron Swanson.” In the corner of the note was another message, this one addressed to April and Andy: “Should seat him comfortably until the age of six. After that, I will make another.”

“Well, that’s just…that’s just amazing,” Leslie said quietly, clearly getting emotional.

“I know, it’s awesome,” April nodded.

“Honey, I’m gonna go grab Jack,” Andy said, giving her a quick squeeze on the shoulder as he took off to look for their son.

“Okay, babe,” she said. “Hey, thanks for coming early Leslie. Let’s go put the finishing touches on stuff before everyone else gets here.”

 

“Here we go, Buddy, let’s look around your party,” Andy said happily, carrying his little cupcake baby around in his arms. Jack was thrilled. He was so overcome with stimuli that his eyes were wide and searching, turning his cherry-topped head every which way. Andy held him up high so he had a great view of everything and everyone. 

“Gahh,” Jack babbled, pointing to the table with the presents and reaching for the bows. Andy grinned and kissed his head.

“All those are for you! Isn’t that awesome, big man?”

“Da,” Jack said happily, reaching up to Andy’s cheek.

“Andy, what upppp, Buddy? Just your luck that he was born on Halloween, huh?”

Andy turned around and there was Tom, a beer in each hand, one outstretched for Andy to take.

“Yeah, totally!” Andy nodded, taking the beer. “We couldn’t believe it when April started going into labor a few weeks early. I remember we were just about to dress up and go out, and like, her water broke all over—”

“Dude, spare me the baby birth details,” Tom held up his hands. “But, just want you to know…your kid is kinda awesome, and he looks badass in his gruesome cupcake costume.”

“Thanks Tom!”

Tom clapped Andy on the shoulder and went off in search of Lucy. Andy turned to his son, who was busy trying to pull one of the bows off a present that finally came within reach.

“Your mommy can never know, buddy,” Andy whispered to the baby. “Technically you came out right after midnight, but no one needs to know that. Your paperwork says otherwise.” He kissed Jack’s little hand and went off in search of April.

The party was going amazingly, and Andy was super proud of his wife for putting most of it together. Ann and Chris had flown in for a week to visit, staying with Leslie and Ben, so the timing was perfect (no matter how many times April tried to give Ann the wrong date) and Tom and Lucy flew down with them. It meant a lot that they would all visit just to celebrate Jack’s birthday, and Andy would always be grateful for it.

After a while, Jack started to fuss and pull at his costume.

“What’s wrong, big man? Wanna take it off for a little bit?” Andy took a seat and began to remove it. If there was any chance Jack would cooperate and wear it again for trick or treating, he had to actually _want_ to wear it again. Luckily he had a cute onesie on underneath.

“Andy, this is literally one of the best one-year-old parties I’ve ever been to!” Chris (who was dressed as a scarecrow) called him from across the house. Andy walked over to join him and Ben, who were chatting by the kitchen and drinking beer.

“Aw, thanks Chris,” Andy said, smiling. “April did so much work, putting it all together.”

“So Andy, how’s your first year as a dad been?” Ben asked, smiling at Jack.

Andy opened his mouth to say something, but had to stop and think. How can he describe the best year of his life? He’d need a lot more time to tell the two of them _exactly_ how he felt, from the day Jack was born, to now, his first birthday. Instead, he just smiled, and answered with the short version.

“He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us,” he said simply, gazing down at the happy baby. “It’s been the best year ever.” 

 

April stared at her husband from across the room, as he talked to Ben and Chris near the kitchen. Jack was sleepy in his arms, no longer wearing his cupcake costume, but his skeleton onesie. One little arm was draped across his fathers neck and his head was on his shoulder. The party would be winding down in a little while, just in time for Jack’s afternoon nap to prep him for trick or treating.

She watched the effortless way Andy continued the conversation while still minding Jack, rubbing the baby’s back without thinking, seemingly just getting it, like he had from day one. April was so fortunate, and she knew it, to have Andy as the father of her child. She couldn’t wait to see him go through the motions again when they had a second baby, whenever they decided that would be.

April rubbed her elbows and tilted her head against the wall. Why _should_ it be so planned out? They didn’t have to treat it so schedule-like. If April had it her way, she’d just grab her amazing, wonderful, thoughtful, _sexy_ (her eyes traveled up and down his torso, muscles exposed in the barely-there costume), husband, and just lead him upstairs right now while the party was still happening. That’s totally what they would have done years ago, anyway.

…And just like that, she had an idea.

She gestured Leslie over, who was busy talking to Oliver and Wesley by the dining room table.

“What’s up, April?” 

“Hey, um, I need to grab Andy for a second, I need his help with something upstairs. Can you grab Jack from him for a few minutes?”

Leslie eyed her suspiciously. Yes, it was a lame excuse, April knew. And very likely Leslie wasn’t buying it. However, the blonde woman nodded and smiled brightly, and April watched her approach Andy. A minute later he was handing her a tired Jack and making a beeline for April.

“Hey babe,” he said, his face lighting up when he saw her standing there. “Leslie said you needed help with something?”

“I do,” she said, gesturing him to follow her upstairs.

Andy followed her, taking the steps two at a time, until they were in their bedroom. Andy looked around.

“So…”

“Andy,” April started, taking his hands. “You’re like, the best dad in the entire universe.”

“Aww, well, babe, you’re the best mom, so…we make a great team,” he laughed, giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

“I know we talked about, you know…having another baby sometime,” she said slowly.

She saw Andy’s eyes dart up, looking at her intensely. “Yeah? I mean, yeah, of course,” he said, nodding vigorously. “I’d love that, so, so much.”

“Yeah, me too…I…I definitely want that,” she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Sweetheart, this makes me so happy—“

“Right now.”

“I—what?” Andy looked down again, confused as ever.

“Right now. I wanna do this.”

“Babe, we’re at Jack’s party—“

“We’ve already got one baby born on Halloween, so…let’s make one on Halloween. Come on, Dwyer, let’s go.” She was grinning at him, running her hands over his chest, and suddenly the distance between them was very _very_ small.

Andy was breathing fast for only a moment, his eyes boring deeply into hers, before he lifted her up and carried her over to the bed, laying her down quickly and stripping down to his briefs. April laughed, especially because there wasn’t much to his outfit in the first place. He certainly wasn’t wasting any time.

“We have to make this quick though—“ she started.

Andy leaned forward and covered her mouth with his, climbing on top of her and taking her head in one hand and sliding the other under her costume.

“I only need five minutes,” he mumbled, breaking away for only a moment before his lips were back on her mouth.

April wrapped her arms around him and sighed blissfully. She just hoped they wouldn’t be gone long enough for people to notice.

 

Andy readjusted the top portion of April’s costume, his hands slightly shaking and his heart pounding. When everything seemed to be in order, he kissed her lips and pulled her to him.

“Wow, I…babe, that was…awesome.”

“Mm,” she said, her arms squeezing his lower back. “We should get back down there, though.”

“Yeah, definitely,” he nodded. _God, she was so beautiful._

They were certainly gone a little longer than five minutes, but when they made it downstairs, everyone seemed to be going about things as usual. Ben and Chris were still chatting near the kitchen. Leslie and Ann were fawning over baby Jack, who was awake again and chewing on a cookie. The kids were playing some of Andy’s video games and Tom was sitting on the couch with Lucy, the two of them talking together quietly watching the older children.

Leslie spotted them and waved. 

“Guys! What do you think, cake time?”

“Cake!” Andy yelled, adjusting his axe strap. “I forgot about the cake!”

“Yeah, let’s do cake,” April said quickly, running her hand through her mussed-up hair. 

“April, are you all right?” Ann asked, glancing at her. “You look flushed.”

“I’m _fine,_ Ann, jeez,” she shook her head and reached for her baby. “You’re dressed as a cat, so…no more nurse questions.”

“Andy,” Leslie whispered, as they walked to the dining area. “Your gladiator skirt is on backwards. Just so you know.” She looked at him knowingly with pursed lips.

“Oh, uh…thanks,” Andy blushed, darting around the corner to adjust it.

 

April and Andy set Jack’s smash cake in front of him, and the little baby looked at it with wide eyes. They managed to get several good photos, as well as a nice family one of the three of them that Leslie took, before Jack dove in. His little hands went to work, squishing and squeezing the frosting and cake in his tiny fists, before bringing it to his mouth and shoving a fistful of chocolate into it.

“I think he likes it,” Andy laughed, kneeling down so he was level with Jack. “Good, buddy?”

Jack held some out to his dad and smashed it against Andy’s mouth, laughing.

“April!” Andy called happily. “He’s the best!”

April couldn’t have asked for a better party for her son. As much as she might say otherwise, she was glad her friends made it out for this, and grateful for the mountain of gifts they gave Jack. The party ended on a successful note, not long after cake. A few opened presents and several minutes playing with ribbons and bows later, the group of friends parted with the promise to meet up again for trick or treating in a few hours time.

 

Now, as they wheeled baby Jack around the neighborhood in his little red wagon, the best Halloween ever finally felt complete.

“Babe,” Andy said, pulling the wagon along slowly and checking on Jack every few seconds, “I think Jack likes trick or treating.”

“I think so too,” April agreed. Jack was holding his stuffed puppy and bouncing his arms up and down, enamored with the colorful costumes and cheery laughing of the other neighborhood kids. “Only a couple more houses, I think,” she added, as Jack yawned wide.

“Hey Leslie! Ben!” Andy called, looking up ahead as the Knope-Wyatt family weaved and zig zagged through the street. “We’re gonna be heading home!”

Turning their heads when they heard him calling, Leslie and Ben came back around to bid farewell. 

“Kiddo done?” Leslie asked, leaning down to muss Jack’s tuft of fine hair.

“I think so,” April said. “He’s had a long day and it’s getting near bedtime.”

“Hmm, I wish our kids were still young enough to have that type of bedtime,” Ben said wistfully, looking ahead to wherever the triplets had run off to. They were eager to hit as many houses as possible, and showed no signs of slowing down.

“Thanks for all your help, guys,” Andy said, hugging Leslie, and then Ben. “As always, we really appreciate it.”

“Anything for our godson,” Leslie nodded. “So, we’ll see you guys in a week for dinner, right? Before our friends fly home. Promise?”

“Right,” April rolled her eyes. “Promise.”

“And next time, call me if he has a milestone!” Leslie added, pointing at Jack. 

“Got it.”

“All right, see you guys later!” Andy called, as they parted ways and headed for home. 

 

“It’s still his birthday!”

“Andy…”

“April, come on, please?”

“Ugh, fine! But if he grows to be like thirteen years old and can’t sleep in his own bed, we know who to blame!” 

“Deal,” Andy said happily, as the three of them settled into bed later that night.

Jack slept on peacefully, totally exhausted from the long, excitement-filled day. Andy glanced at his wife. She was lying on her side, gently pushing Jack’s tiny wisps of hair behind his ears. She had no idea how beautiful and happy she looked, and Andy wished he could freeze the image in his head forever.

“I love you,” he said suddenly, looking at her.

April’s eyes darted up at him, a smile playing on her lips. “I love you too.”

“Do you think we, you know…” his eyes moved over her stomach and he nodded.

“Don’t know,” she said, as Andy placed his hand there. “We’ll fine out eventually. Wouldn’t hurt to keep trying, though,” she added casually.

“Yeah, course not,” he agreed, smiling.

They lay there in silence for a little while longer, the only sound Jack’s steady breathing. After a minute or two, Andy reached over and rested his hand on April’s shoulder.

“Just so you know…this has been the best Halloween I’ve ever had…ever,” he said. “And, uh…I don’t think I could ever explain how happy I am.”

April’s eyes lit up, and she looked radiant as she stared at him. Andy could see in her eyes that look he loved so much, that look she only had around him…the one that meant she was truly happy.

“I know, babe,” she said, yawning, as she pushed herself closer to Jack and her husband while they settled into sleep. “We have the best family ever.”

“Ever,” Andy agreed, his eyes drooping closed, and a smile on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! ;)


End file.
